Nine names per spin, sorted by the personality your puppy is already showing you. Food names strongly encouraged — this is NomNomma, after all.
You will say this name roughly ten thousand times, often loudly, in public. So run the dog-park test: imagine shouting it across a field. Two syllables or fewer carries best, hard consonants (K, T, D) are easiest for a dog to pick out of background noise, and anything that sounds like a command — Kit/sit, Beau/no, Ray/stay — can slow training down a little.
Beyond that, match the dog in front of you. The tiny puppy currently asleep in a shoe will grow into something, and a name like Tank is either a prophecy or a joke — both are fine, just pick on purpose. Food names are having a moment for good reason: Biscuit, Mochi, and Pickles make strangers smile every single day, and a name that makes people smile makes your dog friends everywhere she goes.
Within the first few days if you can. Puppies start learning their name fast, and every early repetition counts. A shortlist from day one, decided by day three, is a good rhythm.
Yes — dogs learn a new name in days with treats and repetition. If the old name is close in sound to one you love, even easier. Many shelters rename routinely with no issues.
A Great Dane named Waffles is not silly, it's perfect. Contrast is comedy, and the dog will never know. Pick what makes your household happy.
Say it once, cheerfully, and treat the instant your puppy looks at you. Ten tiny sessions beat one long one. Never use the name for scolding — it should always predict good things.